Exploring Factors Influencing to Early Initiation of Sex Work among Female Street Sex Workers in Jimma and Agaro Towns, Oromia Region, Southwest Ethiopia

Background This study investigates the early beginning of street-based sex work among women, emphasizing on the factors Influencing these dangerous lifestyles, which accounts for 40% of all women in the sex industry globally. Objective To Assess factors contributing to early initiation of sex work among female street sex workers in Jimma and Agaro towns, Oromia, Southwest Ethiopia. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 219 female street sex workers in five clinics from April 15 to September 15, 2024. Data was collected through face-to-face interviews and analyzed using SPSS version 25. Variables with a p-value of less than 0.05 were considered significant. Result From a total of 219 participants, with a 92.1% response rate,54.2% (95% CI: 47.1–61.2). had an early initiation of street sex work before the age of eighteen. Being illiterate (AOR: 2.66, 95% CI: 1.09–6.45) and having illiterate and primary-educated parents, (AOR: 3.29, 95% CI: 1.15–7.72) and (AOR: 2.94, 95% CI: 1.01–5.51), respectively, substance use (AOR: 3.56, 95% CI: 1.7–6.22) and migration (AOR: 2.88, 95% CI: 1.36–5.09); history of rural residence (AOR: 3.64; 95% CI: 1.69–5.84), were positively and significantly associated factors of early initiation of street sex work in this study Conclusion and Recommendations: This study revealed that more than half of teenage girls were engaged in early street sex work. Being Illiterate, having illiterate parents, migration, history of rural residence, and substance use, were factors significantly associated with early sex work initiation. Encourage and assist the less educated participants to finish their education, stop migrating by strongly penalize miss-brokers, and educate the young girls about the negative effects of various forms of substance usage.